Nicole & Nick
Wedding Party
Kristen Binder
Maid of Honor
Kristen and I met in 2nd grade. She's my oldest friend and more of a sister than anything. Throughout the past 20-something years, she has always been there for me. She's supported my decisions, both good and bad with nothing but love and loyalty. She's also one of the most fun people I know. You will definitely see her tearing up the dance floor. Kristen co-owns her own Salon, Bad Apple Beauty, in Racine. She lives in Franksville with her husband, Johnny, and her son, Brody.
Malina Klug
Maid of Honor
Malina and I met the summer before high school when we were on the same softball team. Our friendship grew quickly as we share a lot of the same interests and were on many of the same teams, EXCEPT for when Malina was a cheerleader during our freshman year. Over the years, our friendship grew into feeling more like family. Malina is involved and included in most of the Putra family events and at this point, it doesn't feel right if she's not there. Malina is in HR at GFS in Kenosha and lives in Sturtevant with her husband, Paul, and their two sons, Callahan and McCoy. When you see her on the dance floor, ask her to do the Harlem Shake!
Carly Sobrilsky
Bridesmaid
Not only is Carly my future sister-in-law, but she's come to be one of my best friends. From the moment we met, she welcomed me into the family and made me feel right at home. Our relationship came very naturally right from the start. We share many similar interests with one of the main ones being ice cream. We will get ice cream any day, any time and in any situation. It feels like we have known each other forever and I'm so lucky I get to call her my sister. Carly is a nurse in pain management at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee and lives in Wauwatosa with her fiancé, Brandon.
AJ Sobrilsky
Best Man
AJ is my older brother by two years and growing up he always reminded me of that. I consider myself lucky to have grown up with an older brother, there may have been a few “disagreements” here and there, but I always knew he had my back. As we’ve gotten older our relationship has gotten stronger. He is one of the most hard working and driven people that I know and I have always admired him for that. His career as a Dr of Physical Therapy (and most recently professional rock-climbing coach and podcaster) along with his passion for the outdoors has taken him out West to Flagstaff, AZ and now to Bozeman, MT. Even though we don’t see each other as often as we would like, he has always remained and will continue to be a huge part of my life.
Drew Aaroen
Groomsman
Drew is a cousin of mine and Jake and Gabe’s older brother. Although Drew is technically my younger cousin, I think most in our family would say he matured a little sooner than I did. Shocking as it may seem, I was the one at the family outings trying to get us in to trouble and Drew was always the voice of reason. Drew went to college in Tennessee and lives in Nashville with his wife Hannah and the most recent addition to our family, their baby boy, Jonah. When he’s not busy teaching or being a great husband/father, he’s most likely busy trying to keep his younger brother Jake in line. Drew has to be one of the most caring people that I know. He is one of many people in my life that has shown me the meaning and importance of family.
Jake Aaroen
Groomsman
My cousin Jake and I developed a special bond at a young age when we both realized we were the forgotten middle child in our respective families. All joking aside, Jake was always like a younger brother to me. As kids our families all lived in Beaver Dam and were always having family gatherings and going on vacations to Minocqua together. Jake went to college in Tennessee and now lives in Nashville working in sales. We are constantly texting back and forth about all things WI sports and who we’re going to be betting on this weekend. Although it pains me to say that he is currently the best golfer in the family, I’m convinced the only reason he hasn’t moved back to Wisconsin yet is because he knows I would have more opportunities to beat him in golf, which I someday will!
Jillian Schulte
Flower Girl
I've known Jillian since she was an itty bitty baby that cried A LOT. She finally outgrew the crying to become a sweet little girl and now a beautiful (on the inside and out) young lady. Jillian reminds me a lot of myself at her age, except she's way cooler. I can't wait to see the person she grows into. Jillian is currently in 8th grade. She lives in Florence, Kentucky with her parents, Sarah (my cousin) and Chris; her brother, Colin; their dog, Sherman; and cat, Pepper.
Gabe Aaroen
Ring Bearer
Gabe is the youngest cousin in our family and he does a good job keeping us all on our toes. I’ve noticed over the last several years his older brothers don’t pick on him as much because even though he’s the youngest, he’s not the smallest anymore! Gabe is in his senior year of high school in Johnson City, Tennessee. Gabe has found a passion for cooking. He's currently taking culinary classes and rumor has it he may be pursuing culinary school in Nashville after high school. It’s not uncommon that after making dinner for Nicole and I, I’ll send a picture to our family group chat and there’s no better feeling then getting the stamp of approval from Chef Gabe!
Matt Pokel
Usher
I met Matt when I moved to Green Bay after my sophomore year of high school. We grew to knew each other well playing football and baseball together at our high school. After college we both got jobs in the Milwaukee area and lived together for the next 5 years. I would say we went from being friends to brothers during that time. I’ll have life long memories from the years we lived together, like when we dressed up as Italian mobsters and made a pasta dinner as we ended our 2-month binge of The Sopranos or when he took a sledge hammer to the pool table we were using as a dining room table in our first apartment because we didn’t want to move it to our next apartment. No matter where our lives take us from here, one thing is for sure, Matt will always be one of my best friends.
Alec Baenen
Usher
Alec and I went to high school together up in Green Bay but our friendship really began when he moved down to the Milwaukee area after college. At times I thought Alec was my third roommate because there wasn’t much that Matt, Alec or I did without each other. There weren't many Saturday Badger games or Sunday Packer games that we didn't watch together. Alec was the first one of us three to take some real steps in to adulthood including starting to raise his son, Max, with his lovely wife Ciarra. I’ve learned a lot from Alec while watching him start his family and can always count on him for sound (and sometimes blunt) advice. You never have to wonder what Al is thinking or where he stands on a certain subject and it’s one of many things I love about him.
Sara Anderson
Wedding Day Coordinator
Sara and I met in 2012 when she got a job at BEI Electronics, where I was employed. I knew we would be good friends on the first day we met when we were scolded at work for laughing too much. We only worked together for 11 months but we've stayed close since she left. Sara and I love to go to movies and craft together. She's a Cricut guru. We also have a lot of fun just running errands and hanging out. She's one of those people that I feel comfortable doing nothing with. Usually when we 'run errands' it means we're at Hobby Lobby or TJ Maxx sniffing candles and touching soft blankets. Sara is a 2nd grade teacher in Kenosha and lives in Racine with her fiancé Scott and her dachshund, Olive. If Sara tells you to do something on our wedding day, just do it.
Mark Aaroen
Officiant
Uncle Mark has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I always admired Mark’s calm/relaxed demeanor and his ability to bring humor to most all situations. One of the best examples of this was when Mark, Drew and I were coming back from a haunted woods that Jake wasn’t allowed to go to. When we got back Mark had me pour a bottle of water all over my pants to make it look like I peed myself so Jake would be glad that he was held back. He has also taught me about some of the finer things in life, like the game of golf and a good bottle of bourbon. Uncle Mark has always been a role model to me, so it didn't take Nicole and I long to decide to ask him to be the one to marry us and we're very grateful that he'll be up there with us on our big day.